Wang's Qabalistic Tarot

Abrac

I'm considering getting this book and I was reading in a previous thread that the 2004 edition corrected some glitches that were in the 1986 edition. Does anyone know if the 1986 version had any serious problems? It seems that the 1986 paperback is available for considerably less than all the others, so I was thinking as long as it isn't too bad I would just get it.
 

Rose

I have the first edition (1986) of Wang's book. It's a great book. As I understand it the text is essentially unchanged in the second edition. You can read a review of the second edition (which discusses the differences between the two editions) at http://www.tarotpassages.com/qabalistic-lb.htm. I would recommend getting whichever printing is cheapest.
 

Goat of Mendes

I haven't seen a copy of the first edition for quite a while, but I think the current hardback by Marcus Aurelius Press is identical apart from a new preface mentioning the hostility of Jewish Kabbalistic scholars to the Tarot.

The pictures for the Ace of Disks and Cups are still the wrong way around in the latest edition. :laugh:

I have one minor quibble with the book that has nothing to do with the different editions. In the Qabalistic Tarot, Wang compares the Golden Dawn, Thoth (Knight), Rider-Waite, and Marseille Kings as if they were all the same. (The same thing happens with the Knights/Princes)
In the Golden Dawn Book T there is an instruction for using a "standard" deck containing King, Queen, Knight, and Page court cards and how they should be ordered to correspond to the elements. Kings in a standard deck are the Princes of the Golden Dawn/Thoth deck. Knights in a standard deck are the Kings of the Golden Dawn Tarot. Crowley left the name unchanged.

It's only a small problem and in no way does it detract from the usefulness of the book. But it's nice to know.
 

rainwolf

a little late...

Wang's book is a reservoir of knowledge relating the cards to qabbala. It's a great buy, but if you only want an introduction/small amount to take in then another book might be better. However if you can even find this book its worth just getting it for future reference.
 

ZenMusic

it's a great book. i read the original when it first came out, and have read the 2004 edition several times
>>revision... newly typeset, and a much superior font is used for the Hebrew letters...SOME editing errors from the first edition have been corrected...

there are still many typos and errors in the 2nd edition, mine is all marked up with corrections..

there's much good information, though some really questionable (at the least) statements, which is understandable in such a complex discussion

(and I'm amazed anyone sticks with it through the Four Worlds introduction)

but after that section, it's great.. worth the read, extremely worth it, there's a great wealth of information here..
 

HOLMES

one great reason for the book, not even nothing to do with the qabbalah

that reason for getting this book, for me , suprisingly has nothing to do with the qabbalah at least at first.
the author compares the tarot of the marseilles with the toth tarot and the waite tarot, and the basic symbolism behind them suprised the heck out of me.
how the waite and the toth remained true to the marsilles even with all the changes they added into their respective changes surpised the heck out of me was my main point.
it brought even further respect to the marsilles for me, and opened up my mind to the toth even more as I was stuck on the waite as my primary deck at the time.